How Ayahuasca Can Heal Depression – A Resource of Articles and Studies

How Ayahuasca Can Heal Depression – A Resource of Articles and Studies

Ayahuasca has attracted lots of attention in recent years throughout the Western world. It’s known as a powerful psychoactive plant medicine and has a rich history of use among indigenous communities of the Amazon basin for deep, lasting powerful healing. It’s been known to heal a broad range of physical and emotional issues and help people to come back to a state of feeling whole.

We’ve collected some insightful articles from those conducting research into its effectiveness in treating depression for you here.

At Gaia Tree, we provide a space for deep personal transformation, supporting the process of inner growth and connection. We hope you enjoy this collection of research into the treatment of depression. Ayahuasca may be too radical for most health organisations, we see many people taking responsibility for their own healing and going on their own journey of healing with Ayahuasca.

Looking for an ayahuasca retreat to heal from depression?

If you’re looking for a safe and professionally run ayahuasca retreat to heal from depression, Gaia Tree Center is the perfect place.

“A psychedelic drink used for centuries in healing ceremonies is now attracting the attention of biomedical scientists as a possible treatment for depression. Researchers from Brazil last month published results from the first clinical test of a potential therapeutic benefit for ayahuasca, a South American plant-based brew. Although the study included just six volunteers and no placebo group, the scientists say that the drink began to reduce depression in patients within hours, and the effect was still present after three weeks. They are now conducting larger studies that they hope will shore up their findings.”

“…If these results hold up in further testing, ayahuasca would seem to be a remarkably fast-acting treatment for depression since many antidepressant drugs take weeks to kick in. Ayahuasca’s antidepressant effects seem to stem from its ability to boost concentrations of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The only side effect observed was vomiting in three participants, a common effect of ayahuasca. This first study didn’t have a control group, but a larger, double blind investigation launched by another group of Brazilian researchers is now underway. It is designed to include 80 patients.”

‘A 2016 review of observational studies of regular users found reductions in dependence and substance use; a preliminary 2015 study for depression treatment found 82 percent reductions in depression scores; and another 2016 review found that short-term use was associated with “improved planning and inhibitory control,” with potential antidepressive and anti-addiction applications. Intriguingly, a 2012 longitudinal study of long-term users found that regular use does not seem “to induce the pattern of addiction-related problems that characterize drugs of abuse.”’

A growing body of research is beginning to shed light on a promising new source of psychiatric treatment: psychedelic drugs. And now, a new study has found some evidence the sacramental brew ayahuasca may help patients with depression who’ve had no success with common antidepressants.

“…Tourists are increasingly trying ayahuasca during holidays to countries such as Brazil and Peru, where the psychedelic drug is legal. Now the world’s first randomised clinical trial of ayahuasca for treating depression has found that it can rapidly improve mood.

The trial, which took place in Brazil, involved administering a single dose to 14 people with treatment-resistant depression, while 15 people with the same condition received a placebo drink.

A week later, those given ayahuasca showed dramatic improvements, with their mood shifting from severe to mild on a standard scale of depression. “The main evidence is that the antidepressant effect of ayahuasca is superior to the placebo effect,” says Dráulio de Araújo of the Brain Institute at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Natal, who led the trial.”

A psychedelic drink used for centuries in healing ceremonies is now attracting the attention of biomedical scientists as a possible treatment for depression. Researchers from Brazil last month published results from the first clinical test of a potential therapeutic benefit for ayahuasca, a South American plant-based brew1. Although the study included just six volunteers and no placebo group, the scientists say that the drink began to reduce depression in patients within hours, and the effect was still present after three weeks. They are now conducting larger studies that they hope will shore up their findings.

“A team of researchers from several institutions in Spain and Brazil has conducted test trials of a South American concoction known as ayahuasca to learn more about its impact on people suffering from depression. In their paper uploaded to bioRxiv the team describes the trials they conducted and what they found.

Two years ago, the same team conducted some initial tests to find out if ayahuasca reduced symptoms of depression—they reported back then that the results were promising. Seeking to expand on their work, the researchers undertook another test trial, this time enlisting the assistance of 39 volunteers, 14 of whom actually consumed the concoction, while the other 15 were given a placebo.”

“In a recent observational study, 18 participants traveled to Peru to undertake three ayahuasca ceremonies over the course of a week,” said Dr. Brad Adams, from the University of California, Los Angeles’ Psychology Department. “By the six-month mark, depression scores had dropped by an average of 52 percent.” The study, undertaken with Drs. Charles Grob and Dennis McKenna, may be repeated with new participants before being submitted for publication.

Imagine discovering a plant that has the potential to help alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts and paralyzing anxiety. That’s what some believe ayahuasca can do, and this psychedelic drink is attracting more and more tourists to the Amazon.

Banisteriopsis caapi, the Ayahuaca vine, is regarded by many that use it as an antidepressant. The mono-amine oxidase inhibiting beta-carbolines in the vine reduce the clearing of serotonin from the synaptic cleft : i.e MAOI is another angle from which serotonin can be boosted, which qualifies the use of MAOI in the treatment of depression back in the mid twentieth century.

It has been indicated that one of the constituents of the vine, THH, actually causes an increase in the density of platelet serotonin uptake sites in long-term users. It is likely that the increase of density of serotonin uptake sites in longterm users be an adaption to more monoamines in the system. . Increases in serotonin transporters could well be an adaptation to increased serotonin levels caused by MAO inhibition.”

Scientists say that ayahuasca—which is legal in Peru and neighboring countries—activates parts of the brain that make it possible to recall deep-rooted memories, increasing self-awareness and offering a chance to reassess past ordeals. Proponents say that it can provide users with spiritual and personal guidance. Others report that it has allowed them to overcome traumas that conventional therapy and antidepressants haven’t cured.

Lately, mainstream scientists have been inching toward a similar conclusion—by taking a closer look at the therapeutic potential of hallucinogenic drugs, they are discovering what shamans like Cairuna have known for generations. Though research of this kind was largely discontinued in the wake of Timothy Leary’s LSD experiments at Harvard in the 1960s, several major universities are now trying to unravel the mysteries of hallucinogens. Roland Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University—and one of the first to resume work on these drugs—published a study five years ago that demonstrated how effective they are at improving how a person feels. “That first study blew me away,” he says. “Nearly all the participants reported significant positive changes in attitude and behavior, and those changes were also observed by the participants’ friends, family, and colleagues. It was remarkable.”

One can’t help but wonder—could the rise in people suffering from anxiety-related mental disorders be helped by the increased popularity of ayahuasca? While the industrialized world has delivered ever-increasing comfort, safety, and useful technology, it has also left a shadowy legacy of stress, isolation, and disconnection from nature and community. With more people than ever seeking treatment for moderate to debilitating anxiety, it is no wonder that ayahuasca, a traditional plant medicine renowned for psychospiritual healing, is become more and more popular in the Western world, causing leading scientists and mental health experts to begin taking serious notice. But can science fully understand this ancient psychedelic plant medicine and healing tradition?

During day-to-day life, you often may not experience a host of emotions all at once, but after taking Ayahuasca, it’s often easy to experience emotions that you are not even aware of. When you take Ayahuasca, you may feel a variety of emotions, both positive and negative. Because these feelings come all at once, it helps to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually cleanse the body. With its numerous benefits, Ayahuasca also helps to treat addiction and depression. An Ayahuasca retreat will prove to be useful when it comes to depression and addiction. Following are a few benefits.

“Before neuroscientist Leanna Standish drank the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca for the first time, she was a steadfast scientific materialist. She was trained to believe—and she did—that everything could be explained by science. Then, much like the pioneering psychedelic researchers who came before her, she had a humbling ayahuasca experience while spending time in Brazil in 2000.”